[Liz]

Portland’s Next Brainstorm: Cops Without Guns

HotAir
Jazz Shaw
Posted at 12:31 pm on December 3, 2018

Excerpt:

The tagline “keep Portland weird” never really seems to go out of style. The Oregon city’s mayor will shortly be rolling out a new program designed to expand the city’s police force. Given all the Antifa violence they’re dealing with, that sounds like a good idea. But these new officers aren’t exactly cops. They’re Public Safety Support Specialists or PS3s, and they won’t be carrying firearms or responding to emergency calls. So what exactly are they going to be doing? (Willamette Week)

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler plans to bring a new policing pilot program before City Council for final approval on Wednesday, Dec. 5.

The Public Safety Support Specialists, or PS3s, will be non-sworn officers who do not carry guns.

“They will be engaged in the community in non-emergency calls, so that’s things like property crimes, break-ins,” Wheeler tells WW.

The PS3s grew out of a proposal in the 2016 police union contract approved under then-Mayor Charlie Hales to create Community Service Officers who would respond to minor property crimes and nuisance calls, among other things.

In order to pay for this program, the city shut down their Mounted Patrol (the cops you see riding horses). So basically they cut back on the presence of actual police to put in some people without weapons or full police training?

If you take the job description being put forward by the city at face value, I have to wonder about the safety of these new officers. They won’t be going out on 911 calls unless they’re with an actual police officer but will be able to respond to things like property crimes and break-ins. If somebody calls the police about a break-in, it seems to me that there’s always the chance that the perpetrator might still be in the vicinity. And sometimes burglars are armed. Do you really want to send an unarmed “safety support specialist” into that situation?

*snip*

The Rest

[Taggart Transcontinental]

That will work until the first one gets killed. They better not look anything like police. Otherwise the thugs won't know the difference.

[Censport]

Might as well disarm all the police there, as they just stand by while Antifa thugs take over the streets.

[Ticked@TinselTown]

I'm sure the ANTIFA asshats are just loving that.

Pretty soon it's going to be the citizens who have to protect the cops from criminals...

[Rock N' Roll Right Winger]

The elected leaders of Portland are more batcrap crazy than Antifa.

More waste of taxpayer money for symbolic crap that will get anyone stupid enough to be one of these officers beaten up or killed.

[Rock N' Roll Right Winger]

Censport, on 03 December 2018 - 11:27 PM, said:

Might as well disarm all the police there, as they just stand by while Antifa thugs take over the streets.

The mayor is the one who is ordering the police there to stand down and allowing the Antifa thugs to harass and attack people.

The people who voted for those crooked progtard politicians all deserve it.

They ought to be smart enough to realize who is behind it and not re-elect these progtards.

This post has been edited by Rock N' Roll Right Winger: 04 December 2018 - 03:28 AM

[Moderator T]

There are quite a few departments in the US that already to this. The unarmed/unsworn officers generally take reports for past offence non-felony crimes, non-injury accident reports, and motorist assists (car door unlocks). Generally this is done in small to mid-sized suburban departments though since large departments have telephone reporting units to take care of most of that and don't do motorist assists.

I'm not sure I agree with the practice, and I definitely think this mayor is greatly exaggerating the positives of it, but it definitely isn't new or unique to this department.

[RedSoloCup]

Is it wrong to wish an ISIS attack on Portlandia? They are asking for it...:huh:

[Hercules]

Ticked@TinselTown, on 04 December 2018 - 02:11 AM, said:

I'm sure the ANTIFA asshats are just loving that.

Pretty soon it's going to be the citizens who have to protect the cops from criminals...

But the Citizens are being disarmed. :(

[First Sarge]

I bet most of the PS3’s will come from Antifa, just like most of TSA came from the dregs of the unemployment roles.

Calling them PlayStation 3’s? That’s going to be a meme.

[RedSoloCup]

Rock N, on 04 December 2018 - 03:23 AM, said:

The elected leaders of Portland are more batcrap crazy than Antifa.

More waste of taxpayer money for symbolic crap that will get anyone stupid enough to be one of these officers beaten up or killed.

What happens when they watch way too much My Little Pony and Care Bears, whilst smoking pot...

[oki]

Moderator T, on 04 December 2018 - 04:29 AM, said:

There are quite a few departments in the US that already to this. The unarmed/unsworn officers generally take reports for past offence non-felony crimes, non-injury accident reports, and motorist assists (car door unlocks). Generally this is done in small to mid-sized suburban departments though since large departments have telephone reporting units to take care of most of that and don't do motorist assists.

I'm not sure I agree with the practice, and I definitely think this mayor is greatly exaggerating the positives of it, but it definitely isn't new or unique to this department.

Green Bay has this program as well. C.S.O. Community Service Officers. The thing is THEY DO NOT respond to any type of call where there is a danger to themselves or others, or much of any chance of danger developing. Someone reporting a property type crime, vandalism, etc sure. BUT, I don't think they are allowed to respond to even a motor vehicle accident. Much of what they do is minor stuff which allows uniformed, sworn armed officer to spend more time on the street. It's actually worked out pretty well, that is after the code Nazi's stopped trying to use them to find every stinkin' little thing they could. IE trash cans left in front a day early or late, an old car in the driveway under a tarp, a trash bag tied to a fence in the backyard(out of view). Yes, those are all 'infractions' either me or my neighbors where hit for.

Oki

[gravelrash]

First Sarge, on 04 December 2018 - 06:53 AM, said:

I bet most of the PS3’s will come from Antifa, just like most of TSA came from the dregs of the unemployment roles.

Bingo. While there are many cities that have "community policing", Portland is rewarding these thugs with more opportunities to harass and intimidate the citizens. The mayor agrees with the fascist mob. That's why he allows them to block traffic and smash car windows. So, why not make them his personal brigade?

These "Public Safety Support Specialists" will not be responding to break-ins or reporting vandalism. They will be issuing citations for "hate speech" and taking down Christmas lights from people's homes as "code violations".

First Sarge, on 04 December 2018 - 06:53 AM, said:

Calling them PlayStation 3’s? That’s going to be a meme.

Just look for the brownshirts wearing the pot leaf arm bands.

[USNRETWIFE]

gravelrash, on 04 December 2018 - 09:29 AM, said:

Bingo. While there are many cities that have "community policing", Portland is rewarding these thugs with more opportunities to harass and intimidate the citizens. The mayor agrees with the fascist mob. That's why he allows them to block traffic and smash car windows. So, why not make them his personal brigade?

These "Public Safety Support Specialists" will not be responding to break-ins or reporting vandalism. They will be issuing citations for "hate speech" and taking down Christmas lights from people's homes as "code violations".



Just look for the brownshirts wearing the pot leaf arm bands.

Better yet, just make sure you and your money avoid Portland at all costs.

[Noclevermoniker]

Hercules, on 04 December 2018 - 06:26 AM, said:

But the Citizens are being disarmed. :(

Only with a pile of spent brass around me...